Amazon hits back at Nook with $164 3G Kindle

Timing is everything. With Barnes & Noble announcing the All-New Nook at an event in the States on Tuesday, it should come as no surprise that Amazon made a big Kindle announcement a day later - the availability of a 3G version with special offers for a discounted $164.

The 3G special offers edition follows the Wi-Fi only version that landed last month ($114 instead of $139) with the $25 discount on offer for people prepared to receive offers from Amazon at the bottom of the homescreen (none whilst you read) and sponsored screen savers.

"Kindle is the bestselling ereader in the world," said Jay Marine, director of Amazon Kindle. "It's been just six weeks since we introduced the new $114 Kindle with Special Offers, and already customers have made it the bestselling member of the Kindle family.

"In response to customer requests, we're now making these money-saving special offers available for Kindle 3G. You will get all the features readers love about Kindle 3G - free 3G wireless, global wireless access, Pearl electronic ink display that's easy to read even in bright sunlight, access to over 950,000 'Buy Once, Read Everywhere' Kindle books - all for just $164 - the lowest price for any 3G e-reader."

Ooh - see what they did there? The new Nook may come in at $139, but it doesn't have 3G on board - lest we forget.

Who would of thought it eh - a ereader war? And people said the iPad would kill the market.....